Related Experiment Videos
Gentamicin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated in Denmark in 1979
Acta Pathologica Et Microbiologica Scandinavica. Section B, Microbiology
|June 1, 1981
Summary
Gentamicin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains caused hospital epidemics in 1979. Most resistant strains were also resistant to other antibiotics, but not netilmicin.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Hospital Epidemiology
Background:
- Gentamicin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus emerged as a significant clinical concern.
- Epidemic episodes of gentamicin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus were documented in Danish hospitals in 1979.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the antibiotic resistance patterns of gentamicin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains.
- To investigate the genetic relatedness and stability of these resistant strains.
Main Methods:
- Phenotypic characterization of antibiotic resistance profiles.
- Assessment of resistance to multiple antibiotics, including methicillin.
- Phage typing to determine strain relatedness.
- Metal resistance profiling (mercury, arsenate).
- Monitoring of resistance loss during storage.
Main Results:
- Forty-four gentamicin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains were isolated, with varying resistance to other antibiotics like kanamycin, tobramycin, amikacin, and cephalothin.
- None of the strains were resistant to netilmicin.
- Twelve strains were multiply-resistant, including resistance to penicillin, streptomycin, tetracyclines, and ten of these were also methicillin-resistant.
- Multiply-resistant strains (methicillin and gentamicin) showed resistance to mercury but sensitivity to arsenate.
- Twenty-three strains lost gentamicin resistance upon storage, with minimal impact on metal resistance patterns.
Conclusions:
- Gentamicin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains exhibited diverse resistance profiles and were associated with hospital epidemics.
- The emergence of multiply-resistant strains, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, poses a significant challenge.
- Strain instability, indicated by the loss of resistance upon storage, was observed, though it did not affect metal resistance.
- Treatment with gentamicin often preceded the isolation of resistant strains, highlighting the need for judicious antibiotic use.